


Silver Linings

by starlitsprout



Series: 23 Days of Wonder [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 90s love shenanigans has shown me the true depth, Fluff, I'm obsessed, Kidfic, M/M, of ten and hyuck's chaotic dad son dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:02:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28427490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlitsprout/pseuds/starlitsprout
Summary: Day #4 - ScarfKun doesn't think much of accompanying a toddler on a cold winter evening, but things have a warm way of working out.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun
Series: 23 Days of Wonder [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071971
Comments: 5
Kudos: 90





	Silver Linings

It’s 7pm on a Friday night.

Technically, Kun should already be home, lying on his couch and getting rid of the tension headache that had built up over the week with tea and reruns of Modern Family. His only struggle should be deciding between getting Thai food delivered or cooking something borderline unhealthy for himself. Instead, he’s standing outside the preschool he works at in the goddamn snow, holding the hand of a shivering three year old, waiting for the kid’s parent to pick him up.

The infuriating thing is that Donghyuck isn’t even _his_ kid. The last of his class had left half an hour ago with their parents, who respected the preschool’s closing time and didn't make Kun suffer as the closing shift teacher. Sicheng, Donghyuck’s actual teacher, had begged to leave the moment the gates closed behind them, citing an important date night with his hotshot lawyer boyfriend. Kun might be single, but he wasn’t going to be all sulky about it and stop someone else from enjoying romance, so he had let Sicheng go. But that leaves _him_ to stand on a slippery pavement, waiting for a parent who he’s never met and who also refuses to pick up any of his calls.

Not that any of this is Donghyuck’s fault, Kun reminds himself. Donghyuck is a squishy squishy toddler, with adorable cheeks and fluffy hair, who can’t help it if his parents are tardy. A particularly violent shiver from the boy holding his hand breaks Kun from his thoughts to look down in alarm. “Is my daddy coming?” comes a wobbly voice and Kun quickly pats the top of the kid’s beanie-covered head to stop the impending breakdown.

“I’m not sure honey, but he should be on his way,” Kun soothes as he subtly checks his phone again. No calls or messages. Kun is going to kill Mr Lee, whoever he is.

“Do you know your mommy’s number?” Kun tries but Donghyuck just shakes his head. “I don’t have a mommy,” Donghyuck says and Kun mentally kicks himself in the face.

“I’m adopted,” the boy continues. He skips the ‘p’ sound, but the message is clear and surprising. Most adoptive parents would wait until their kid was much older to tell them, but Donghyuck says it so matter-of-factly that it’s a little amusing. Still, Kun isn’t sure how sensitive this topic is, so he chooses to divert the child’s attention. He might as well do some digging about Donghyuck’s mysterious and irresponsible father. “Where does your daddy go before he comes to pick you, sweetie?”

“Work,” the three year old says simply. “Daddy draws clothes.”

“Oh,” Kun’s interest is piqued. “Is your daddy a designer?”

Designer, Donghyuck mouths to himself, before nodding. Kun presses further, “Do a lot of people wear his clothes?”

And okay, maybe that’s a little too nosy. But the preschool Kun works at is prestigious and a popular choice for the rich and/or famous, and he’d just like to be prepared in case it’s a celebrity’s phone that Kun’s been blowing up.

“I don’t know,” comes the response that makes Kun deflate. “But people walk a lot when they wear his clothes on the stage.”

A fashion show, Kun guesses. It’s a little hard to have an investigative conversation with a three-year-old, but Kun is pretty well-versed in child talk. He goes to ask another question, but Donghyuck sneezes so hard he almost falls into the snow pile behind him. It seems like despite the designer career, Donghyuck’s father missed the memo on needing thicker jackets as the winter gets colder. Donghyuck looks back up at him with bambi eyes and slightly purple lips, and Kun decides then and there that if Mr Lee is going to let this baby boy suffer from hypothermia, Kun will adopt him instead.

“Come here honey, let’s put this on and find somewhere to get out of the snow,” Kun beckons Donghyuck to move closer as he unwraps the scarf around his own neck and kneels to loop it around the boy’s, tucking the edges into his adorable but too-thin striped coat. Donghyuck looks at the scarf intently as it’s being put on him, and he holds one end with chubby hands up to his face as Kun stands.

“This is Daddy’s scarf,” Donghyuck squeals. Kun frowns confusedly as he reaches into his pocket for his phone to text the conspicuously unresponsive Mr Lee about them moving to a nearby cafe.

“No sweetie, it’s mine.”

But Donghyuck shakes his head determinedly and repeats himself. To be fair, the scarf is part of a new designer collection that’s been the talk of many fashion outlets, a recent splurge that Kun allowed himself. It’s possible that Donghyuck’s father owns one too, especially since he’s in the same industry. Kun offers that possibility as he pulls up the one-sided text conversation on his screen and mentally plans a murder.

Donghyuck sighs much louder than a three year old should be able to and taps insistently at the scarf’s geometric pattern. “No Mister Kun,” Donghyuck speaks slowly, the way Kun does when he’s teaching his children something difficult. “Daddy draw this.”

“It’s ‘Daddy drew this’, darling,” Kun replies absent-mindedly before he processes what Donghyuck said and he whips his head back towards the child, thumbs frozen over his phone’s keyboard. _Donghyuck’s father is Ten Lee?_

Before he can wrap his head around this new information, there’s a loud screeching of tires at the other end of the street that has Kun pulling Donghyuck further behind him and away from the road. A gray convertible with the cover up appears from around the corner, speeding down the narrow lane and braking roughly on the curb a few feet away from where Kun stands. Before Kun can even blink, the driver’s door is thrown open, with the engine still running, and a man dressed in all black literally leaps out and hits the ground on his knees right in front of him.

“Baby!” The man yells at what seems to be Kun’s crotch area with his arms spread wide open, and Kun’s adrenaline response debates whether he should kick the man in the balls or grab Donghyuck and run in the other direction.

Thankfully, Donghyuck runs out from behind Kun to jump into the man’s arms, identifying him as “Daddy!” before Kun acts on reflex.. Kun stands behind them and watches Donghyuck get fussed over, still processing the dramatic entrance while taking in the fact that _it’s actually Ten Lee holy shit_. Ten Lee, the model-turned-fashion designer who owns CTL House and was just coined an artistic visionary by Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and who Kun may or may not have a semi-crush on. Not because he’s an amazing designer, although he is, but mostly because Ten Lee is hot.

He’s hot even now, as he takes off his coat to wrap it around Donghyuck, revealing a long-sleeved turtleneck and slacks as gold-rimmed glasses perch on his sharp nose. His waist is so slim that Kun genuinely thinks he could cover its whole span with his two hands.

Kun is so caught up by his not-that-appropriate thoughts that he misses Mr Lee regarding the scarf around Donghyuck’s neck until the sound of his own name from Donghyuck pulls him back to the scene. Mr Lee finally seems to register the presence of another person, and when he does turn to face Kun, there’s surprise on his face, along with something else.

Kun watches as Mr Lee’s eyes travel from his eye level of Kun’s body up to his eyes, and it makes him shift anxiously. _Oh my god he’s judging my fashion sense and he’s going to get the school to fire me because I don’t meet his artistic standards_ , Kun thinks which okay, maybe he’s a little delirious. It’s not an everyday occurrence for the man whose interviews Kun watches constantly to appear in front of him.

Mr Lee straightens up and smiles. It’s a really nice smile. “Hi I’m Ten, you’re not Sicheng.”

Kun clears his throat, “Sicheng had to leave so I offered to stay with Donghyuck. I teach the five-year-olds. Uh, I’m Kun.”

Ten hums. “Sorry about that, my usual route got snowed out. I’m sure you tried to contact me but my phone died on the way,” he grimaces and brandishes his black phone screen in one hand. “Would have come much sooner if I could, especially since Donghyuck doesn’t have a proper coat.” He grins pointedly then, and tilts his head at his son who is squatting on the ground, making a small snowman. “Seems like you got him covered though. Nice choice if I do say so myself.”

“Yeah, it’s really...warm. And pretty. Actually, I’m a fan. Even though I don’t own many CTL things because they’re expensive. Sorry, is this weird? I just mean I like your stuff and uhm.” Kun thinks he might die from embarrassment if Ten lets him keep going.

Ten laughs as he bends to unravel the scarf from Donghyuck’s neck and pull it in his hands. “May I?” he asks, and Kun isn’t sure what he’s asking but he says yes anyway. Hands reach forward before Kun can even register them, gently winding and arranging the scarf back onto his neck.

“It’s pretty when the person wearing it is,” Ten murmurs. He’s close enough for Kun to see the long dark lashes hidden behind his glasses. “Glad to see that’s the case here.” Ten rests his fingers lightly against the side of Kun's neck, making Kun shiver.

“Anyways,” he continues, like he didn’t just lean into Kun and _hit_ _on_ _him_. “Could I give you a ride? It’s really late and it’s getting colder.”

“Oh no it’s okay, I just live around the corner,” Kun replies hastily. A sudden burst of courage lets him hold up one end of the scarf. “And I have this.”

Ten smiles again as he pulls the passenger door of the car open, letting Donghyuck climb in and fastening his seatbelt. “Yeah you do. I hope to see you again soon, Kun.”

“Bye Mister Kun,” Donghyuck yells through the open window as Ten slides into the driver’s seat, and Kun waves at him, watching as Ten winks and pulls the car off the curb. Kun lingers on the pavement even after the car disappears from view, a little dazed. He isn't sure if meeting Ten is just a part of a strange winter-induced dream.

However, when he finally gets home and settles down on his couch, his phone buzzes. _Would love to hear all about how big of a fan you are of my stuff haha. If you’re worried I won’t reply this time, we could do it over coffee instead:)_

Maybe waiting in the snow was kind of worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really like the way this fic turned out, but I'd rather let my darling child out into the world to be judged than let it sit in my drafts indefinitely. 
> 
> prompted by littlewonderfic's [23 Days of Wonder](https://twitter.com/littlewonderfic) fest.
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/starlitsprout)


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